M5.2 Earthquake in the Samoa Islands region — October 30, 2022
2022-10-30 18:24:45 UTC (2022-10-30) · approx. 6:24 AM UTC-12 local
On October 30, 2022 at 18:24 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Samoa Islands region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -16.8379°, -172.8407°. This earthquake was detected by 51 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 416, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Earthquake Details
-172.8407°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake in the Samoa Islands region?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck in the Samoa Islands region on October 30, 2022 at 18:24 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -16.8379°, -172.8407°, which is in the Samoa Islands region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ilcr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, October 30, 2022). M5.2 Earthquake in the Samoa Islands region — October 30, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ilcr/